More information: Human Services AAS
PURPOSE
The Human Services Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree curriculum prepares students for employment upon graduation.
Four-year college and university transfer opportunities for AAS degrees, if existing, are usually specific in nature. Students may, however, substitute some curriculum courses with ones that generally transfer to senior institutions. Students should consult their advisor as soon as possible for guidance and are advised to get written assurances from the institution to which they wish to transfer.
OCCUPATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Opportunities for employment in settings including:
- Childcare agencies
- Corrections facilities (adult and juvenile)
- Gerontology facilities
- Hospitals
- Mental health agencies
- Private non-profit and for-profit agencies
- Programs and agencies serving physically and intellectually disabled persons
- Rehabilitation agencies
- Social service agencies
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Develop a counseling approach based on the strengths and weaknesses of major theories
- Implement an array of models for change and influence
- Engage with diverse patient groups using effective communication skills including active listening, interviewing strategies, and documentation
- Integrate practice and theory under supervision of a qualified supervisor in their chosen career field
- Recognize and empathize with the aging process and its implications for psychosocial factors such as health and access to services
- Apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, acquire hands-on experience, and strengthen professional growth through supervised work in real-world environments
- Explain how substance abuse affects mind and body, focusing on mental and physical health impacts
- Evaluate approaches to integrated substance abuse treatment and recovery methods
- Explain key developmental milestones across childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging
- Demonstrate knowledge of the human services field including history, purpose, and key services and roles
- Articulate the needs that key services and roles address and explain the importance of advocacy
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- General college curricular admission
- Pre-enrollment interview with department chair
PROGRAM NOTES
Students should take the core curriculum courses that include a first and second course in sequenced order. Students must successfully complete the first course before proceeding to the second. Students who receive a final grade lower than C in any of the core courses must repeat the course before taking further courses in the core curriculum. Students having academic difficulty completing the first 15 credits of their program should discuss their academic progress with an advisor in Advising Services, and with their faculty advisor after completion of 15 credits.
Coordinated Internship
Human Services AAS students must complete a 130 clock-hour internship at a program-approved agency site. Students are eligible to enroll HMS 290 - Coordinated Internship in Human Services before their fourth semester if they have successfully completed seven core HMS and/or MEN courses.
Before enrollment, the student should:
- Meet with the department chair to discuss the internship course
- Select, interview, and confirm a placement supervisor and site
- Complete all required internship documents the semester prior to registering for HMS 290
- Prepare their own transportation to the agency
- Cover costs incurred for criminal background, sex offender registry checks, and tuberculosis screenings required as a condition for placement
Students who have past felony records, especially those that include barrier crimes in the state of Virginia or are on the sex offender registry in any state, will not be able to secure internships that provide services to children or the elderly and may find it difficult being placed in other internship training sites. This, in turn, would prevent them from completing requirements for the Human Services AAS degree.
CREDENTIALS
Upon completion of the degree or specific course credits within the degree, students are eligible for national and/or industry-based certifications. Consult a faculty advisor for more information.
COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT
Students in this program will meet the Reynolds computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 152 . Students can also meet this requirement by passing the Reynolds Computer Competency Exam, administered in the Testing Centers on each campus, in which case they will receive college credit for ITE 152 . Students not passing the Computer Competency Exam may retake the exam only once.
